


Ambiguitatis Error Est

by fangirlingtodeath513



Series: Writers of Destiel Challenges [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alcohol, Biphobic John Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester First Kiss, First Kiss, Hangover, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Character Death - John Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-07-22 18:55:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19971592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlingtodeath513/pseuds/fangirlingtodeath513
Summary: Dean's pulling away from his close-knit friend group and Castiel is determined to find out why. If he finds some other things out along the way, he won't complain.





	Ambiguitatis Error Est

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic written for the Weekly Words challenge over on the [Writers of Destiel](https://writersofdestiel.tumblr.com/) discord :D Thank you to the ever-lovely mods over there running these challenges. 
> 
> Beta'd by the beautiful casbean ([tumblr](https://casbean.tumblr.com/))([ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/casbean/pseuds/casbean)) who is an incredible writer that you should check out if you haven't already 👀

Dean missing their monthly game night is the final straw. Dean _never_ misses game night, no matter what, but ever since his dad had shown up months ago, Dean’s been withdrawing from the group. It was only little by little at first, canceling plans last-minute with stupid excuses, then not agreeing to plans in the first place. Hell, Castiel has barely had any contact with him for the last few months, save for the odd test here and there. But missing game night with all of their friends, something Dean used to look forward to the entire month before? It’s annoying, but even worse, Castiel is terrified for his friend.

John Winchester has always been garbage. Ever since Mary died three days before Dean’s sixteenth birthday, John’s been a drunk, abusive asshole. Castiel didn’t know it was physical until Dean came to school one Monday in senior year with a black eye and a split lip, and that’s not even including the bruises up and down Dean’s arms beneath his sweater. That had been Cas’s breaking point. He told Dean that he and Sam were going to come stay with Castiel and his family. Thankfully, Cas’s parents were okay with it and three days later, John had disappeared.

Dean had flourished after that. A family friend, Bobby Singer, took Sam in when Dean went off to college. Dean and Cas were roommates all four years and they’d found a small, close-knit group of friends over those years, the same friends they still hang out with regularly.

But now that John’s returned, Dean’s pulling away again. It’s the liquid courage from Charlie that has Cas taking a Lyft to Dean’s house at two in the morning. He bangs on Dean’s apartment door with no regard for his neighbors and continues to knock until a very disgruntled and mostly naked Dean wrenches the door open and yanks him inside.

“Cas, what the hell? It’s two in the morning, why are you banging on my door?”

Cas glares at him. “You skipped game night.”

Dean blinks at him, confusion written across his features. “What?”

“You skipped game night,” Cas repeats, frowning. “You never miss game night.”

“I needed to do a few things for my dad.”

Castiel scoffs. “Your dad, right. Why are you so eager to do things for him, anyway? All he’s done for years is abuse and abandon you.”

Dean rolls his eyes. “That the only reason you’re here, Cas? Might as well just give it up.” Dean waves a hand toward the couch as he turns to head back to his room. “Sleep off the alcohol, I can bring you home in the morning.”

Castiel glares at Dean’s back. “Get back here! We’re not done with this discussion.”

Dean stops in his tracks and Castiel watches his shoulders rise and fall as he takes a deep breath. He turns back around, raising an eyebrow at Cas. “What is there to discuss?”

“Why you’re pushing everyone away! I haven’t seen you in weeks and you’re avoiding every invitation any of our friends send you. I’m worried about you, you idiot!”

Dean blinks at him, frowning. “You don’t need to worry about me, Cas, I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine, you’re pulling away from all of us. You did the same thing senior year.” Castiel collapses onto the couch, pouting. “I miss how you were before he came back.”

Dean rolls his eyes. “I’m no different now, Cas, I’m just busy.”

Castiel scoffs, closing his eyes and throwing an arm over his face. “Fine, whatever.”

“What the fuck do you want me to say, Cas? He’s dying and yeah, I fucking hate him, but I don’t want to regret shit years down the road, okay?”

Castiel sits up, glancing over the back of the couch at Dean. “He’s dying? I didn’t know, Dean, I’m so sorry.”

Dean sighs. “I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d tell me to forget about him. He’s still my dad, I can’t just let him die alone in some hospital.”

Cas frowns, shifting around to sit properly on the couch, patting the spot next to him. Dean takes a seat, sagging under the weight on his shoulders. 

“Does Sam know?”

Dean nods. “Called him when I first found out. He told me in no uncertain terms that he wants nothing to do with John.”

Cas’s frown deepens, but he can’t exactly blame Sam. Sam was never close with John, but Dean’s always been eager to impress him, even more so since his mother died. While he doesn’t like the idea, Dean undoubtedly knows what’s best for himself and Castiel would be a terrible friend if he didn’t support him. 

“What can I do to help?”

Dean eyes him suspiciously and Cas tries his best to look sincere. He’s not sure it actually comes across, but Dean smiles at him nonetheless. “Nothing right now. I’m gonna head to the hospital in the morning, I have a bunch of paperwork I need to sign.”

“Do you want me to come with you?”

Dean shakes his head, leaning back and propping his feet up on the coffee table. “Nah. Just… hang out tonight? I’m having trouble sleeping, anyway.”

Castiel frowns. “Why?”

Dean shrugs. “Seeing him brings up a lot of bad memories.”

They sit there quietly for a long time and Dean thinks Castiel might’ve fallen asleep when he suddenly asks, “What happened senior year?”

Dean smiles. Castiel had given him space at the time, which Dean will be eternally grateful for, but he’d expected Cas to press the issue later on. He never did. This is the first time in nearly six years that Castiel has brought it up. “I told him I was bisexual and that I was planning on asking a guy out.”

Castiel’s eyes snap to him as soon as the words leave his mouth, which makes Dean chuckle. “You’re… That’s… wow. Thank you for telling me.”

Dean snorts. “Wasn’t exactly a secret. I’ve slept with dudes before. I just don’t really go out of my way to tell people.”

“Does anyone else know?”

Dean snickers. “Sam, but only cause he walked in on me with a guy.”

Cas wrinkles his nose but chuckles. “Poor Sam.” 

They fall silent again and after a moment, Dean shifts closer and rests his head on Cas’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

Castiel raises an eyebrow. “For what?”

“I know you're not thrilled that I’m around my dad again. Means a lot that you still offered to help.” He chuckles softly. “If it makes you feel any better, he’s in a coma and not actually saying anything to me.”

Castiel hums, draping an arm around Dean’s shoulders. He tries to answer back, but his eyelids are far too heavy to keep open and whatever he ends up saying comes out slurred.

* * *

Castiel wakes the next morning to a cold couch and the smell of freshly-brewed coffee drifting from Dean’s kitchen. He sits up and immediately regrets it as his head pounds. Slowly, Cas pushes himself off the couch and heads for the kitchen. The coffee is still warm and there’s a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon on the counter, which he gratefully takes.

He’s halfway through his breakfast when Dean comes home. He’s got red-rimmed eyes but he smiles at Castiel anyway. “Hey, how’d the head?”

Castiel frowns, setting his fork down. “What happened?”

Dean clears his throat, setting his keys on the table by the door. “He’s dead. Pulled life support this morning.”

Cas gapes at him. “You… Dean, I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell me that’s what you were doing?”

Dean shrugs, squeezing Cas’s shoulder gently as he passes by to pour himself a cup of coffee. “I kinda wanted to be alone. I said what I needed to say and… I actually kinda feel okay? It’s weird, but it feels like there’s this huge weight off my shoulders.”

“Well do you want help making arrangements, or…?”

Dean hums. “Nothing to arrange. He wanted to be cremated and have his ashes left by Mom’s grave.”

Castiel nods, squeezing Dean’s hand gently as he sits. “Well if you need to talk, you know where to find me.”

Castiel finishes his breakfast in silence. He knows Dean’s watching him over the lip of his coffee mug. 

“What do you want to ask? Just ask it, you’re giving me chest pains just watching you try to hold it in,” Dean says with a laugh.

Castiel blushes. “Is it really that obvious?”

Dean chuckles. “I’ve been friends with you since I was three, I know how to read you.”

Castiel smiles softly. “I was just curious about who you were planning on asking out.”

Dean clears his throat, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “Oh, uh, that’s not really… it was just some guy.”

Cas raises an eyebrow. “It was a small school, and we knew all of each other’s friends. I’m just curious, I won’t laugh. Was it Benny?”

Dean blinks at him. “You think I liked Benny? No, man, he’s just a good friend. I’m… it’s someone I’m really close to and I’m not sure they reciprocate. I don’t want to ruin things with an unwanted crush.”

Cas smirks. “I won’t tell them. You know how good I am with secrets.”

Dean rolls his eyes. “First of all, you’re awful with secrets. You told Sam about his surprise graduation party three hours after I told you. And anyway, you wouldn’t have to tell them, they’d already know.”

Castiel’s brows furrow as he turns at sentence over in his head. “They’d already-? Oh!” Castiel blinks at him in surprise and, before Dean has a chance to second-guess himself, tangles a hand in Dean’s hair and kisses him deeply. He tries to pour every ounce of the crush he’s been harboring for the last seven years into the kiss. If Dean’s dazed and elated expression is anything to go by, he understood.

Dean grins. “Still miss how I used to be?”

Cas laughs. “No, I think I like this version just as much.”

**Author's Note:**

> Find **this fic** on [Tumblr](https://fangirlingtodeath513.tumblr.com/post/186553471234/ambiguitatis-error-est-a-destiel-fanfic-read) and [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/765593)  
>   
> Find **me** on [Tumblr](https://fangirlingtodeath513.tumblr.com/) and [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.io/fangirlingtodeath513)  
>   
>  **Please don’t post my works anywhere without my permission.**


End file.
